What a shock that Crespi High of Encino, which for most of the year was ranked among the top prep football teams in California, won’t be going to CIF playoffs after losing all three of its Serra League games – including a 14-13 loss to Loyola of L.A. on Friday ended the Celts’ season with a thud.

“I’m definitely bummed out. I wasn’t able to get the job done for the team,” said quarterback Bryan Bennett, a returning starter who led Crespi to the 2007 Pac-5 Division final. “It hurts, but now we’ll work hard for next year, hit the weight room, get faster and all that.”

Bennett conceded the team’s vibe was different this season – and not in a good way.

“We’ve got to come together as a team. I think we lacked a little intensity compared to last year,” he said.

Crespi (6-4) will have no excuses next season. The Celts return most of their top players, including Bennett, running backs Brad Lattanzio and Rhasheed Johnson, offensive linemen Hroniss Grasu, Mike Mitchell and Ben Loth, tight end Pierce Richardson, receiver/defensive backs Kevin Williams and Blake Stanton and defensive lineman Reggie Coates.

Meanwhile, as big a shock as Crespi not making the playoffs was Chaminade of West Hills managing to sneak in. The Eagles (2-8) had lost eight in a row, six by two touchdowns or more, before pulling out a 39-34 victory Friday at St.Francis of La Canada, then winning a postgame coin flip for the Mission League’s second and final Western Division playoff spot.

Chaminade’s Tim Rowley caught five passes for 110 yards, including touchdowns of 11 and 89 yards.

“I feel like we have new life, that luck is finally turning our way,” Rowley said. “It was a long losing streak, but we never gave up. The team has finally pulled together, and I think we can keep it going.”

After winning two consecutive City Section championships and four over the past six seasons, Birmingham of Lake Balboa (5-5) is a bit miffed about being seeded ninth in this year’s City playoffs – and being forced to open the postseason Thursday at Garfield of Los Angeles.

Birmingham played a much more difficult schedule than most City teams, and its only loss to a City opponent was a 34-22 defeat to third-seeded Taft on Thursday.

San Fernando, seeded sixth, was among the teams awarded favorable treatment over Birmingham, mostly because the Tigers won the ValleyMission League title despite lighter nonleague competition.

“We played within a minute of Taft, and I kept telling everyone that (at the seeding meeting Saturday),” coach Ed Croson said. “We played the No. 1 team in the nation (Notre Dame) and scored 27 points on them. Who has San Fernando played? They lost to Littlerock. Do you give that same weight as losing to Notre Dame?”

But Croson and his players have resigned themselves not to complain further, he said.

“It doesn’t matter. We’ll play whoever they’ve got,” Croson said. “We’re OK with playing Garfield on the road. If they want us to play (top-seeded) Narbonne in the first round, let’s go. We’re going to give it our best.”

By finishing 10-0, state power Oaks Christian of Westlake Village is 97-9 all-time, a winning percentage of .915. The Lions, who undoubtedly will be seeded No. 1 in the Northwest Division playoffs, have won five consecutive Southern Section titles. … Burbank (5-5), tied for the fourth in the Pacific League, won a coin flip to qualify for the league’s last playoff spot over Glendale and Arcadia. … Burroughs of Burbank offensive lineman Sebastian Valenzuela, listed at 6-foot-2 and 327 pounds, is remarkably agile for his size, partly because he has a soccer background, having played futbol – and not football – until he was 13.